Is this an example of a rut funnel?

[U.P. bownut]

I just turned in a vacation slip for the first 5 working day's of Nov. and have been looking over maps of some state land for the thousandth time and noticed how the red brush gets pinched down right on the river bend with what could be bedding on each side where the red brush gets wider again. Where would you set up a stand and can you point out other potential bedding? North, south, and east there isn't much but swampy woods and higher hunter pressure and to the west is a fair amount of farm land. What time would you go to a spot like this way before dark or in the "gray light"?

[Zap]

Not what I would call that but I would look for beds in the clump of trees behind the base of your arrow....especially the northern end where it comes to a point .

[dan]

I would not call that a funnel either, but IO would expect rut cruising on a parallel trail there skirting the bedding.

[U.P. bownut]

Ok thanks. I know there really isn't any actual terrain features to "Funnel" the movement but I thought with everything getting pinched down between the hardwoods and river it would concentrate cruising movement.

As a side note this spot is part of the same property Dan came up and scouted with me this spring. While he was here we concentrated on bedding areas a little way's to the south but when we came to other spots with parallel trails I was able to see exactly what they look like on this same property so know I exactly what i'm looking for and can set up and hunt without going in there now to scout.

[Jackson Marsh]

Sometimes the less obvious terrain features on a topo of or aerial can be dynamite on public land. Everybody and their brother hunts the obvious funnels. Definitely worth a rut hunt.

[ Post made via Android ]

[PK_]

Hmmm. A little surprised at the other answers. That is exactly what I would consider a rut funnel.

Not sure what the rivier does there to the NE but theoretically you want to hunt the bow that sticks out the furthest in any particular direction.
[ Post made via iPhone ]

[justdirtyfun]

I usually only pick funnels on topos\hilly areas and struggle in this habitat so thanks for posting. It is a good looking example and I see your reasoning. Edge transition on left and river bumping in from right so put it on the possible list.

[ Post made via Android ]

[ihookem]

I don't see anything that stands out on this picture. I will bet that if it is in the big woods and there is a ridge along the river ,, there is also a trail. I have read and have seen several times how bucks move on the trails that parralel a good size river. We sit right on the ridge where there is a trail. We have done a poor job connecting so far but we see bucks using these trails during the rut. Even in mid day they cruise that trail come the rut.

[Stanley]

I think the spot you picked is better than the two arrows I drew in, that said. A good funnel has 2 definite features that funnel deer traffic through them. The blue line I drew would be the N/W feature/obstacle that would funnel the deer through it. Could be a creek, ditch, hill, water hole, etc. The green lines would be the deer traffic.

The inside bends of the river are usually cut banks which is good. The rest of the set up I don't care so much for. The area close to the river is open. I always see more buck movement in cover than open ground. This means you would have to go farther in from the river and and that reduces the neck down effect.

The area might be worth a sit or two and see what shakes out. I have seen worse places to sit. I pointed out two on the map. I did a thread on funnels a few years ago. You should do a search and check that thread out.

[U.P. bownut]

Thanks for the input guy's.

Stanley thank you for marking up that map for me. What you drew was just about what I was thinking. The area along the river is not real open, it is all think red brush with dead cedars and other brush mixed in. There just isn't much of a canopy. When dan was up that is where we found the majority of the bedding. I was hoping to find a trail where you marked and hunt it.

[headgear]

Some bigwoods funnels.

logging


beaver dams or on the edges of lakes


river crossing

[Zap]

Bucks will travel the natural terrain features that are easiest to traverse and ALSO the route that crosses the most doe trails.

Combine these two and you have a promising location.